PLO Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi (right) and Swedish Consul General Ann-Sofie Nilsson. (Photo courtesy of Ashrawi‘s office.)

RAMMALLAH, April 9, 2018 (WAFA) - PLO Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi met on Monday with Swedish Consul General Ann-Sofie Nilsson and Consul Deputy Head of Mission Tomas Brundin at the PLO Headquarters in Ramallah.

The two sides discussed the latest political and regional developments, including American culpability in Israel’s unlawful behavior and its repeated efforts to prevent the United Nations Security Council from adopting a statement denouncing Israel’s recent war crimes in Gaza.

In her analysis of the current realities on the ground, Ashrawi denounced Israel’s brutal murder and injury of unarmed Palestinian protestors in Gaza by means of sniper fire, live ammunition, tear gas, and rubber-coated steel bullets. In that context, she called for immediate global intervention to provide protection for the Palestinian people and legal accountability for Israel’s flagrant violations of international law and international humanitarian law.

The meeting also addressed the Palestine National Council meeting scheduled to take place at the end of this month and the importance of Palestinian unity and holding parliamentary, presidential and national elections in order to revitalize and renew the legitimacy of the whole political system of Palestine.

In reviewing relations between Palestine and Sweden, Ashrawi expressed her appreciation to Sweden for its firm and ongoing support of the Palestinian rights to independence and sovereignty.

M.K.